Starry Night
by Words of Wisdumb
Summary: Damon Salvatore, a lonely vampire, finally decides to forget about Mystic Falls, Elena, and Stefan. He moves to Berlin, NJ, and pretends to be a normal high school student. This is where he'll meet her, as she changes his life forever.
1. Chapter 1

It's been one and a half hours of me holding on to this pen, just attempting to properly vent out everything inside me. It might actually help. Elena was the one who gave me the idea, and though I've tried to shut her completely out of my mind and heart, I decided to try it. With the pen in my hand, I continue writing.

_I've been wandering for 50 years already. I decided to give myself more self-respect, and to stop revolving my afterlife around my brother's. When I left Mystic Falls, I told myself that I have to start "living" for myself. I fell in love, and what has happened before just happened again. It just hurts like hell. How can she choose Stefan, after everything I've done for her? If only she knew how hard it was for me to actually let her in. She was the only one I trusted. _

_I don't want to sound gay, but I'm starting over. Starting now, I, Damon Salvatore, will not kill anyone. That's my first step. I'm 17 years old (I think I can pull tha_

The plane ride starting becoming rough and bumpy, so I closed the journal and put my pen in my pocket.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot. We have just arrived at our final destination, Camaden County Airport, in Berlin, New Jersey. The time and date is 9:23 am, August 6, 2100. In behalf of the crew and the cabin, we thank you for flying with us."


	2. Chapter 2

"Look up, Stella!" Ryan said as he shook her elbows.

Stella obeyed, and she was in awe. She never saw that many stars. The sky was normally just completely black and dark, and every now and then, you can see some white, that's supposed to be the moon.

"Wow." Stella replied, as she stared at the sky. She grabbed her cellphone, and she took a shot of what she had seen. She'll send them to the local scientists. They will definitely be curious about how the stars were so visible.

"Stella, wake up! First day of school, and you're going to be late. Wake up!"

Where was that coming from? Stella was wondering. Ryan was the only one around, but his lips weren't moving, and Ryan doesn't even sound that way.

At a blink of an eye, she was lying on her bed, in her bedroom, with her dad shaking her shoulders.

"Oh good, you're awake. Dress up, eat breakfast, and teleport quick." Her dad said, as he walked out the room. Stella followed orders. She went downstairs to the teleportation device. "High school" she said.


	3. Chapter 3

Stella walked through the hallway. It's my junior year, she thought. Nothing has changed. The jocks and cheerleaders were all crowded in the middle of the hallway.

"Stella!" Ryan called. She turned around, and gave him a big hug.

"Ryan, I had the most amazing dream. We were out in the park and…" Stella was cut by the loud and cocky laughter of those jocks. She rolled her eyes. "You'd think that after all these years, these stupid cliques would come to an end."

"Don't mind them, Stella. Anyway, you were saying?" Louder, cocky laughter followed after that. Only this time, there was also high-pitched and flirty giggling.

"Cheerleaders", Stella said, as she mocked them with her own rendition of a cheerleader giggle.

"They're not all bad, Stella." Ryan tried to calm her down.

Stella didn't respond. Ryan waved his left hand in front of her eyes, and then Stella went back to Earth.

"Staring at Salvatore, again?" Ryan said smugly.

"No. Look that way." She pointed towards the door, using her thumb. Pointing with the pointer finger isn't polite, she claims.

A girl with a long, slender body, brown eyes, tanned skin, and blonde hair walked along the hallway. She was obviously conscious that people were staring, and she was obviously trying to not make it obvious that she was conscious, and failing at that.

"We have a new girl." Ryan pointed out.

"I wonder where she's from. Almost everyone in our high school came from the same elementary. We all practically grew up together." Stella said.

"Almost everyone, except Damon. He just started school here two years ago." Ryan responded.

"Why is Damon in our conversation?" Stella asked.

"What? You said you liked him. You said he's the only jock with a decent laugh." Ryan nudged her.

"I like him, because his laugh is actually pleasant, but no, I don't like him." Stella defended herself.

"What?" Ryan laughed. "You just pointed out the reasons why you like him, then you said you don't."

Stella was thinking of a comeback, but then the bell rang.

"Bye Ryan. See you in Chemistry class." She was looking forward to the class. Stella loves Science, and she loved that she was classmates with her best friend.


	4. Chapter 4

The 45-minute lectures of the different teachers felt like 45 years. Stella couldn't wait any longer for Chemistry class.

To Stella's ears, the sounds coming out from the teacher's mouth, which is caused by adequate air flow that allows pressure to vibrate the vocal cords, just sounded like a lot of mumbling. It was rare for Stella to not pay attention in class. She was the geek.

"Stella! Please save the class from embarrassment." The teacher urged her to.

Stella was confused, but then she realized that the teacher, as usual, expects her to answer the question that none of her other classmates could answer, 'cause they're not as smart as her. "Sir, please repeat the question."

More mumbling sounds came after that, then Stella said words that would be the first time to be ever heard to come from Stella in public. "I'm sorry. I don't know."

"What a disappointment." The teacher sighed.

The bell rang, and Stella stormed out of the classroom. She was hyped for Chemistry.

Ryan met her outside the classroom, as they teleported together. Ryan owns a portable teleportation device/watch. Stella wants one, but her mom told her to wait for Christmas.

Stella and Ryan were the first ones to arrive the classroom. "I'm so excited! We'll be lab partners, and we're going to discover things that have yet to be discovered." Stella kept on talking, and Ryan was just listening. That's why Stella loves Ryan. He can bear with her even when she's on her talkative-I'm-going-to-deliver-a-monologue mode.

When Stella finally stopped talking, Ryan finally got a word in. "This is why we're the geeks.", he sighed.

"Do you really care about all of that? At least we're happy." Stella grinned.

Just then, the pretty, tan, slim, tall, and new blondie entered. At least, that's who she was in Stella's eyes.

Ryan smiled, and asked for her name.

"Peyton. Yours?" she responded.

"I'm Ryan", he said as he put his arm around Stella's. "She's Stella. She's my best friend."

The conversation died after that, because Damon Salvatore, and all the other students finally entered, with the teacher following.

"Look, it's Mr. Pleasant Laughter.", Ryan said in a whisper. Stella didn't respond. She was listening to the teacher, Miss McDonell.

45 minutes passed by like they were five minutes. Stella and Ryan answered almost all of the questions, except one. Miss McDonell asked for other hands, and Peyton raised hers. She answered correctly, Stella was impressed, and Ryan was turned on.

The bell rang, and as the class stormed out, for they were all excited for lunch, Stella tried to catch up with Peyton, and Ryan tried to catch up with Stella.

"Peyton, you like Science too?" Stella said, with a smile on her face. She was glad to know that blondie wasn't going to be just like everyone else.

"Yeah, of course, but I actually love Math more." Peyton replied.

"Peyton, wanna join us for lunch?" Ryan asked, with a flirty smirk.

"Thank God! Yeah. Totally. I was worried about being alone." Peyton said, enthusiastically.


	5. Chapter 5

Stella and Ryan sat at their usual table, the one right beside the trash can, only this time, it wasn't just the two of them. So far, Peyton seemed very cool, in their eyes. In everyone else's eyes, she was not cool at all. The word was "the new girl's a geek."

Stella liked Peyton. She shared the same interests, and she finally had her own girlfriend. Ryan's great, but she needs someone to do typical girly things with.

Ryan really liked Peyton. Every single thing about Peyton was every single thing that Ryan wants in a girl: blonde, pretty, smart, funny, nice, and has integrity. Basically, Ryan wants a girl like Stella, only blonde. That was Peyton.

"Hey, who's that tall, white, dark-haired and blue-eyed guy in the black leather jacket?" Peyton asked, pointing towards the jock's table.

"She points with her pointer finger, how rude." Stella said, but only in her mind. "That's Damon Salvatore, jock and jerk." Stella said, out loud this time.

"What makes you say so?" Peyton said, obviously disappointed by what she had just heard.

"We just hear things." Ryan replied.

"You guys can't just judge him, because he's a jock. He's pretty hot." Peyton said, smugly.

"He acts just like all those other jocks. He plays girls, but don't worry. His laughter isn't nearly as obnoxious as all those other guys." Stella answered.

"Laughter? Why are you talking about his laughter?" Peyton laughed.

"She hates it when those jocks all", Ryan was cut, by the jocks' and cheerleaders' boisterous laughter, as usual.

"Just in time." Stella rolled her eyes.

"Oh." Peyton muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

After class, Stella proceeded to the library. Ryan had an errand to do, so she was alone. "I forgot to tell Ryan about my dream", she thought. She'll call him tonight.

Stella was walking towards her usual table, near the sci-fi books, but she was redirected towards the reference section, because she saw something that wasn't always there.

She looked around, and she confirmed that the coast was clear. Of course, no one goes to the library. Books are old-fashioned, and are barely used, because of the new technology.

She grabbed the little black book. It had a very nice leather texture.


	7. Chapter 7

Ryan arrived school early, with intentions to meet up with Stella and to ask her where she was last night. She'd normally call me if she was home, he thought. He was also curious about Stella's dream, so he walked past the empty hallway, and waited right in front of Locker 201, Stella's locker.

The school was pretty empty, with only less than 10 people in sight. Stella was out of sight, so Ryan just waited. The minutes passed, but Ryan wasn't bored while he waited alone. He was preoccupied daydreaming about Peyton. He felt ridiculous. It's only been a day of knowing her, but it was about time he met someone new that he was attracted to.

"Ryan, are you blind?" Peyton almost shouted saying.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't notice." Ryan said with a dorky smile.

"I've been waving at you for a whole minute, you weirdo. Anyway, what are you doing here so early? Class starts in 30 minutes, and by the looks of it, you've been here earlier than now.", Peyton said.

"Actually, I've been here for 20 minutes. I've done worse, and look whose talking." Ryan replied.

"I'm the new girl. I have every right to come extra early to school, because I don't want to be the new girl who was late on her second day. Anyway, you didn't answer my question!" Peyton exclaimed.

"I wanted to come early, so that I could catch up with Stella. She should be here in ten minutes." Ryan said.

"Boy, you sure are excited to see her. I find that pretty cute of you." Peyton was smug as she said those words. Ryan was caught of his feet. She called me cute, he thought.

"Uh, thanks." Ryan said, shyly, and then bit his lip in order to prevent showing too much happiness over what he just heard.

"I'm really glad the two of you took me in, but I also feel so weird. I feel like such a third wheel." Peyton admitted.

"Stella really likes you, you know. She won't admit this, but I know she secretly wants her own girlfriend. She trusts me with everything, but I'm sure she's more comfortable talking about fashion and all those girly stuff with girls." Ryan said.

"I hope you meant girlfriend as a girl-space-friend, because if not, that's sort of creepy." Peyton replied, with a giggle.

"Oh no, not at all! Stella, a lesbian? The odds of that happening are the same as me becoming a suicidal atheist." Ryan laughed as he spoke, because the idea of Stella being lesbian was too crazy for him.

The two of them laughed hard at the idea of Stella being lesbian. Peyton was pondering on how she could even think of that being possible. She's only known Stella for a day, but she already knew that it was impossible. She's dating Ryan, Peyton thought. Ryan was laughing, but at the same time, thinking of possible conversation topics with Peyton, so that he'd know what to say when the laughter stopped. He stopped before she did, because something struck him.

"What do you mean by third wheel, exactly?" Ryan asked.

Peyton's smile was instantly wiped off her face, and then she said, "You know, when someone hangs with a couple, that someone's a third wheel."

Ryan's jaw dropped, as his eyebrows shot up his forehead. "No, no, no, no, no! She's my best friend. We're not a couple." She can't think that Stella and him are together, Ryan thought. That would automatically repel her from him. Peyton might think he's not interested in her.

"Oh. Really now?" Peyton raised one eyebrow.

Okay, she's not that much like Stella, Ryan thought. Stella can't raise one eyebrow. "Really." There was an instant change of topic after that. The two didn't even notice the time fly by, or how many people arrived, because they were so into their conversation. They both wouldn't stop talking, because one topic would spring into five others.

The bell rang, and the two parted their ways, and that's when Ryan remembered his true intent on coming to school early. Stella was nowhere to be found.


	8. Chapter 8

Stella was one with the sea of students that entered the Chemistry laboratory. Ryan locked eyes with her. Stella smiled, and then sat beside him. Peyton took the seat in front of them.

"Psst, where were you awhile ago? Ryan and I were waiting for you!" Peyton said.

"And you're never, uh, not early for any Science class. What happened?" Ryan added.

"I was late by five minutes for first period. It's no big deal, and I guess there's a first time for everything." Stella smirked.

"You never told me about your dream." Ryan pointed out, but Stella kept her mouth shut, because Miss McDonell finally arrived, and her lecture started immediately.

Throughout the lecture, Stella wasn't as focused as she would normally be. Her eyes were fixed on Damon Salvatore's back, but her ears were hearing the things that Miss McDonell was teaching.

Ryan, too, wasn't as focused, but he was a tad bit more focused than Stella. He couldn't help wonder about Stella. Why didn't she call last night? What was her dream about? Why was she late this morning? His eyes were traveling the lab from the blackboard, to Miss McDonell, to Peyton, to the rest of the class, to the different laboratory apparatuses, and finally, to Stella. He noticed how fixed her stare was. Why is she staring at Salvatore's back?

"Stella, would you enlighten the class?" Miss McDonell literally begged her to.

"The atomic mass of Potassium is 39.0983." Stella answered, and in her mind, being grateful that she made the effort to listen, despite what was going through her mind.

"Thank you, Stella." Miss McDonell said.

The bell rang in the middle of Miss McDonell's conclusion to her lecture, as the students rudely stormed out of the classroom. As usual, everyone can't wait for lunch.

Ryan, Stella, and Peyton sat at the same table as yesterday. Finally, Ryan thought. He can finally ask Stella about what's going on.

"Why didn't you call last night?" Ryan asked.

"Sorry, I was preoccupied." Stella replied, and then continued munching on her sandwich.

"What a vague answer. Preoccupied with what?" Peyton asked. She was almost as curious as Ryan was.

Stella gave them the stretched out her hand, which Stella meant as the "can't-talk-I'm-eating" hand. Ryan knew that, but Peyton didn't.

"I'm not going to give you a high five." Peyton said, with an obviously confused look.

Stella and Ryan laughed so hard, that Stella almost started choking on her sandwich. Ryan immediately gave her a glass of water. "She meant that she couldn't talk, 'cause she was eating, silly." Ryan said, still laughing.

"Oh." Peyton replied, obviously embarrassed.

Stella continued eating her sandwich after that, without a word said. She meant to keep her mouth full, in order to not have to talk. Luckily, Ryan and Peyton were able to carry out a conversation without her. She didn't understand what they were saying, but she kept eating, as slow as she could, so that she can keep her mouth shut throughout lunch. Her mind was full of thoughts, as her heart was pounding. She knew what to do, and when to do it, but she didn't know how she was going to pull it off.

The bell rang. Stella thought, "Thank God."


	9. Chapter 9

After class, Stella rushed to the football field. She was fascinated at the sport, and how it barely changed, even if technology has drastically changed. It was one of the things that remained as they were, except for the fact that the referees are robots. Besides that, everything remained like it was before. Stella used to look at pictures of the past, and she saw how the football fields in her school were. They looked the same. There was still same lush green grass, and a couple of bleachers.

The team was on the field, doing whatever they were doing. Stella didn't understand the game. She was never into sports. As she walked through the green, she followed her plan. She'll look for Damon's bag (Stella found Damon very outdated. No one writes in journals and uses bags anymore, she thought), stuff his journal in, and walk out before anyone notices her. If anyone asks, she'll say that she was showing Peyton around, but she lost her while she was at it. What could possibly go wrong?

She did as she planned. When she stuffed the little black book in, she walked as fast as she could, at the same time, doing her best to not catch attention.

She made it to the school's hallway, thinking to herself how lucky she was to get away with what she did.

She was wrong.


	10. Chapter 10

Two hands tightly gripped on Stella's neck, and the owner of those hands was holding her up against the wall. Do something, Stella! Something in her mind was screaming for her to save herself, in Stella's heart and mind, she never knew it would be that much harder done than said.

She dropped on the floor, coughing out blood, and trying to catch some breath. The tears were forming in her eyes. The last time she ever experienced that much pain was when she was nine years ago, when she was eight.

She got back up on her feet, but it wasn't her who picked herself up. His hands were pulling her collar.

"I swear…" she said, running out of breath, "I will never tell a soul."

He let go of her collar. His gorgeous blue iris was strangely increasing in size as he said, "You won't be able to tell anyone anything, because you don't know what we're talking about, and this never happened."

By the look on her face, Stella looked more confused than ever. "What are we talking about?"

He smirked, and in an instant, he was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Walking home wasn't a bad idea, Stella thought. She just needed time to think, and be alone. Teleportation doesn't give you much time to do both.

Her dad welcomed her as she arrived, as he did every day since she was elementary.

She rushed to their indoor garden. Less than a few families still keep plants in their homes, but Stella loved the green, and she, herself, planted and takes care of the green growing in their garden.

Stella was still a bit traumatized by the encounter, but she was strong, and she knew what she was doing.

She approached the Vervain plant, and picked some herbs.


	12. Chapter 12

It was a beautiful morning, Ryan thought, though it was just an ordinary day. The sky was a little cloudy, and the sun shone the way it always does. Leaves were getting tired of holding on, and have decided to let go. That was the only thing special about the day. The leaves were letting go.

Ryan got to school early, but this time, instead of heading over to Locker 201, he waited in front of Peyton's locker, but she wasn't in school yet. "Am I too early again?" Ryan asked himself. The hallway was a bit crowded, and his watch told him it is 7:20 am.

Suddenly, everything blacked out, and Ryan could feel soft fingers over his eyelids. "Guess who!" the voice said, in a sweet, girly voice.

"Peyton!" Ryan said. The two shared a good laugh.

"How'd you know it was me?" Peyton was smug.

"Uh, your voice kind of gave it away." Ryan pointed out.

Peyton leaned in closer, that Ryan could feel the carbon dioxide coming out of her against his chin and lower lip. "Oops.", she said, slowly and seductively.

"Ryan!" Stella shook his shoulders. "Don't do that in public."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts." Ryan said, obviously embarrassed. He has an amazing imagination, and praise-worthy optimism. His daydreams are real, until someone snaps him out of it.

Stella bit her lip, trying to hold her laugh and a huge smile, and attempting to smug, like she knew something, which she did. "Peyton's locker, huh?"

"Where were you last night, and the night before that?" Ryan said, in a curious tone, with a serious face.

"Don't change the topic." Stella couldn't help but smile. She loved the feeling of discovery (that's why she loves science). How could she have only noticed now? Ryan has feelings for Peyton. It's been three days of knowing Peyton, and Ryan likes her.

"Change what topic?" Peyton asked. "Excuse me, Ryan." Ryan moved aside, then Peyton got her books for first and second period.

"Ryan and I were just talking about how he…" His eyes grew, and his eyebrows rose. _Stella, don't tell her!_ "…uh, he used to steal my antique dolls." Stella bit her lip. She had to hold the laugher. _It was the first thing that popped in my mind!_

"I hate it when she brings that up. It makes me feel so retarded." Ryan said, shyly, and also trying not to show any signs of dishonesty.

Peyton just laughed, and she managed to get some sensible words out. "When was that?"

"We were nine." Ryan admitted.

Peyton's head tilted to the left, and the sides of her lips went up. "I think it's pretty cute." Then the bell rang. "I'll see you guys later at chem."

Ryan and Stella walked side-by-side. They walked in silence, but Stella broke that with her laugher. "I'm sorry. I'm not good at on-the-spot lying."

Ryan didn't reply. Stella could tell why. She nudged his elbow, and she smirked at him. "She called you cute!" She teased him.

They continued walking, 'til they reached Stella's first period classroom. "Bye Stella." Ryan smiled, then he left.


End file.
